Parfait Recipes

I made a pain d'epices last week and it most of it went very quickly. Pain d'epices translates to "spiced bread"; it's similar to gingerbread with the exception that no ginger is used. Also it's made with rye flour, honey and spices such as star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. I'll post the recipe for this moist bread next week. Tonight, I used the spiced bread remnants and made beautiful layered pumpkin cream parfaits for the holidays.

To complete the French dessert, I made it literally look "parfait" with a spun sugar decoration!

Tiramisu is one of our family's favorite desserts. In the past, I've made individual servings in cups as well as larger cakes. I've also played around with the flavor combinations. This time around, I prepared a tiramisu with salted caramel and Bourbon. For the cookie part of the tiramisu, I used liquor-soaked bite-sized wafers.

The result is an airy, delightful mousse with a hint of alcohol, which makes the perfect sophisticated dessert for adults.

If like me, you sometimes run out of time but still want to serve quick and easy dessert, give this marshmallow treat a try. I melted marshmallows into a creamy fluff and mixed with mascarpone cheese. This recipe utilizes a great shortcut: a blend of lecithin, xanthan gum and lemon extract as a binder, but of course you could firm up the cream with a regular egg custard.

I also made a delicious coulis de framboises ("raspberry sauce" in English) to brighten both the flavor and presentation of the dessert. The raspberries I used tasted great but weren't that visually appealing anymore. Sauces are always a great way to make use of the fruits in your kitchen that may have lost some of their sex appeal.

The main reason I made this dessert is that I have been feeling bad for my husband Lulu, who's whining a bit about how healthy our meals have become. It took me probably 20 minutes tops to assemble this beautiful dessert, so we both win! He's got it tough, hasn't he?

Granola parfaits are usually made of layers of fruit, a dairy product and granola. The key is to balance the different textures of the various elements. As is true of almost any recipe, the quality of the ingredients plays a huge role in the end product. I got a bag of “Plain Jane” granola from Sarah over at Nuts About Granola (www.nutsaboutgranola.com), and it's incredible, so that part of equation was taken care of.

To contrast the peanut and cinnamon flavored granola, I gave the recipe a tropical Asian twist by using fresh mangosteens and jackfruit. They were naturally sweet so no additional sugar was necessary. Canned fruit would also work fine. I also decided to use fromage blanc in place of the more common yogurt. Fromage blanc literally translates to "white cheese". It's widely available in France and I'm lucky to be able to buy it at my local market. The consistency is similar to soft, healthier cream cheese. I sweetened it with a little stevia and honey.

Whether you want to serve it for breakfast or as a snack, this delicious treat will satisfy your sweet tooth! And if you’re curious to try Plain Jane granola for yourself, Sarah and Pham Fatale have put together a giveaway this week. Just click the like button below and you’re entered in the contest! We’ll pick the winner at random Saturday morning.

The first Nuts About Granola Giveaway has already ended and I will announce the winner later on today. Now you can participate in the second giveaway, ending Thursday, September 8th. It takes a few seconds and you could win two packs of Granola!

Pham Fatale Giveaway Terms and Conditions: No purchase necessary. All prizes are generously donated by the company featured. Winners will be chosen at random, and odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Pham Fatale is not responsible for late, lost, stolen, illegible or incomplete entries which will be disqualified. US Residents only please. Only one entry per person per giveaway. Prizes are not refundable or returnable. Giveaway terms subject to change.

Lemon tiramisu is a great dessert to end a very romantic dinner. Yesterday, I served my Valentine a dinner that is reminiscent of our recent trip to Rome. Instead of the traditional ladyfingers in between the layers of mascarpone cream, I used chocolate chip biscotti instead. I flavored the mascarpone cream with Meyer lemons, which paired wonderfully with theItalian chocolate cookies.

We looked at the photos of our trip to Italy, while feeding each other from the dessert cups. My favorite place was, of course, the Vatican (thanks for the link, Bill!) with its magnificent frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. Oh so romantic!